Originally published: April 11, 2013

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

I must be in touch with my feminine side because on my first drive of the 2013 BMW X1 xDrive35i I called my good friend via the vehicle’s Bluetooth and enthusiastically declared: “I really like this thing.”

To which he replied: “You are such a girl.”

True, it is the feminine persuasion to which the X1 will most likely appeal, since the demure five-door is neither a sleek sedan nor stout truck. That leaves the more hairy-legged among us to desire an X5 or 335i when shopping for a family chariot. But it is also true: the 2013 X1 has much to like — especially now that this luxury AWD crossover has an engine that can make any man, or woman, grin.

That engine is BMW’s delicious 3.0-litre turbocharged straight six, the same arrangement of pistons found in much more serious models, from the larger X5 SUV to the 535i sedan and various 3 Series sedans and coupes. The six-cylinder has 300 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque. When the X1 was launched in Canada in early 2011 as a 2012 model, it arrived only with a turbocharged 2.0-litre straight four, a sweet enough engine that remains available in the X1, but one that does not get the blood flowing in the same way as the six.

And while the numbers matter, more valuable is what the N55 engine does to the X1 — which is immediately reform it from a fastidious church mouse into something more like a snow leopard. Gone is the wheezy chimes of the 4-cylinder at start up, exchanged for a throaty rumble that’s vastly more pleasing. Gone is any trace of coarseness, replaced by the absolute smoothest force ever felt from a production engine. It’s so inviting, every green light becomes an opportunity to floor it. Yes, there is some slight hesitation off the line as the single, twin-scroll turbo spools up, but once underway the X1 pulls with the persistence of a teenager who wants to stay out late. Zero to 100 km/hr requires a mere 5.6 seconds.

Gone, too, unfortunately, is some of the stellar fuel economy of the 28i, but that’s not to say, by any means, this six is a pig. While I averaged 8.8 L/100 km in my first experience with the X1 and its 4-cylinder back in 2011, I managed only 11.2 L/100 km over a recent week with the xDrive35i. Much of that, of course, can be blamed on the alluring nature of the straight six, which quickly rendered my feeble willpower useless, seducing me into far too many liberal applications of the throttle whenever the road was clear. The official ratings for the X1 xDrive35i are 11.4/7.4.

So it’s clear the engine of choice for an X1 is the six, even if it does raise the base price to $39,900 over the 28i’s $36,900, or $45 extra a month. It also means (for now) living with a six-speed transmission rather than an eight speed, but that’s no big deal — the six-speed is snappy, swift and can be shifted manually.

The larger question is whether it makes sense to opt for the bigger X3 over an X1 since the vehicles are relatively close to each other in size. Considering an X3 with the same engine costs $47,400 to start, the argument stalls right away. Spending nearly $10,000 more for the X3 does bring an extra 300 litres of space (with seats up), or room for about one more hockey bag. Granted, our tester topped out at $53,150, but it included just about every option available.

Inside, the X1 and X3 come similarly adorned. I don’t know why BMW seems intent on keeping its cubby space so painfully small: the centre armrest was not big enough to hold my sunglasses even. The iPhone slot also requires some fiddling to reach and the two cup holders up front are only marginally more useful than those on a Porsche.

Still, on the whole, the X1 is a good size — easy to park, easy to manoeuver in traffic or fling about with abandon along the lakeside route to the cottage. Steering is trademark BMW, as is the braking. The exterior proportions are attractively rendered, especially up front. Despite a conservative interior, the X1 feels plenty cheery inside, made brighter by a beautiful panorama sunroof that opens wide. The roof is part of the $1,500 premium package that also includes a heated steering wheel (that didn’t work on our test car) auto dimming mirrors and park distance control — but no backup camera, which would be far more useful than the sensors and graphics.

Visibility all around is especially good. And while there is a bit of wind noise out on the highway, the X1 is ultimately a genuinely pleasing drive. Now that is has one of the best engines in the world, it should be irresistible to women — and even plenty of men.